cloud computing

Though initially only available to developers, the iWork for iCloud beta is now open to the public. Following the first developer beta, several other non-developers were invited to test out the service in July. Now, anybody who currently has an Apple ID can login at iCloud.com to test out iWork's functionality on the cloud before it launches sometime this fall.

What was once a private beta meant only for developers is now trickling out into the public. For those who signed up to be invited to the public beta of iWork for iCloud should be getting them now. Apple originally unveiled the new cloud-based office suite at WWDC last month, and now the software is ready for a public chewing as the company looks to get feedback before an official launch.

The 300,000-server-strong Xbox LIVE cloud for the new Xbox One will share processing duties with the console, Microsoft has detailed, responsible for "latency-insensitive computation" like filling in background detail or figuring out complex lighting effects. The split crunching had been broadly outlined before, but Microsoft shared some specifics with Ars Technica, including how the system would amount to roughly three virtual Xbox One consoles per the one in your living room, and what visual impact it would have for gamers without a persistent internet connection.

Back in March, we heard rumors that Amazon was working on building a private cloud service for government agencies (specifically the CIA in that case), and it turns out that's now getting the green light -- sort of. Amazon and the US government signed a three-year deal that would see the government using Amazon Web Services for various government organizations.

As Adobe announces that they'll no longer be selling software in physical boxes, they continue their physical presence in this world with two bits of hardware: Project Napoleon and Project Mighty. With Project Mighty, the company is showing a cloud-connected stylus made specifically for apps and interfaces inside the Adobe Creative Cloud, Photoshop CC included. Adobe Project Napoleon is a candy bar-sized accessory that will allow users to keep digital lines straight - or curved, if they like.

This week's Adobe Max 2013 conference has played host to the announcement of a new system known as Creative Cloud, taking what did exist with Adobe's Creative Suite and making it a system prepared for the future online. This transition brings in a monthly subscription cost of $50 USD in exchange for Sync services, 20GB of online storage for documents of all kinds, and automatic cross-platform downloads to and from all applications in the suite. This push also includes access to the Behance community hub for creative discussion online.

This morning the teams at Dell and Enstratius (also known as enStretus pre-name-change) have announced that the former has acquired the latter in a bid to increase the power of the company's Cloud Computing sector. Enstratius is a company known as an "early cloud pioneer", working with cloud management for enterprise groups and delivering services for both single and multi-cloud setups for businesses. This company has made it clear that their "cloud agnostic" abilities make them unique - though how they'll be working inside Dell's fold is not yet crystal.

Cloud storage is becoming all the rage nowadays, but some people are wanting to take it to the next level. That's what Nebula is for, a new startup company that was founded a couple of years ago, and they officially launched the Nebula One, which is what they call a "cloud computer" that's based on OpenStack.

Amazon powers a variety of websites on the internet, including several popular services like Netflix and Instagram. However, it looks like Amazon is digging deeper into partnerships, as it's rumored that the e-tailer giant and the Central Intelligence Agency have made a deal for Amazon to provide cloud services to the government organization.